Federal Climate Protection Act (KSG)

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Category: Legislative

Document Type: Act

Role: Main

Germany's 2019 Federal Climate Change Act (KSG), Amended Through 2024, Establishes Binding Emission Targets and Aims for Climate Neutrality by 2045.

The Bundes-Klimaschutzgesetz (Federal Climate Change Act - KSG), enacted on December 12, 2019 (Federal Law Gazette I p. 2513) and most recently amended by the Act of July 15, 2024 (Federal Law Gazette 2024 I No. 235), serves to ensure that Germany meets its national climate protection targets and contributes to fulfilling European climate goals. It also supports Germany's commitment to achieving greenhouse gas neutrality as a long-term goal. The Act establishes legally binding national climate targets, including the overarching goal of greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045 (amended from the initial 2050 target by the amendment of June 24, 2021). It sets annual total greenhouse gas emission amounts for Germany and specific annual emission budgets for key sectors for the period 2020 to 2030, with reduction targets specified up to 2040. The affected sectors include Energy, Industry, Buildings, Transport, Agriculture, and Waste/Other, as listed in Annex 1. The Act also addresses the contribution of the Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF) sector and technical carbon sinks. Key obligations under the Act include monitoring emissions, reporting on progress, and implementing measures to ensure compliance with the annual sector budgets. If a sector exceeds its annual emission budget, the responsible federal ministry must submit an immediate action program to ensure future compliance. The Act mandates the development of climate protection programs outlining measures to achieve targets. The KSG establishes an independent Expert Council on Climate Change (Expertenrat für Klimafragen) to review emission data, evaluate measures, and provide reports and assessments to the federal government and parliament. The Act also emphasizes the public sector's role model function, requiring federal administration to strive for climate neutrality by 2030 and promoting Bund-Länder (federal-state) cooperation on climate protection. While the KSG itself sets the targets and framework, it provides the basis for mechanisms like the national emissions trading system for fuels (implemented under a separate law, the Fuel Emission Allowance Trading Act - BEHG), which introduces a carbon price (initially set at 25 euros per tonne of CO2 from 2021, as mentioned in the human summary context) to help achieve the emission reduction goals.

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Full text:

Bundes-Klimaschutzgesetz  (KSG) Inhaltsübersicht  Abschnitt 1Allgemeine Vorschriften § 1 Zweck des Gesetzes § 2 Begriffsbestimmungen Abschnitt 2Klimaschutzziele und Jahresemissionsmengen § 3 Nationale Klimaschutzziele § 3a Beitrag des Sektors Landnutzung, Landnutzungsänderung und Forstwirtschaft § 3b Beitrag technischer Senken, Verordnungsermächtigung § 4 Jahresemissionsgesamtmengen, Verordnungsermächtigungen § 5 Monitoring, Jahresemissionsmengen, Verordnungsermächtigungen § 5a Projektionsdaten § 6 Bußgeldvorschriften § 7 Durchführungsvorschriften zur Europäischen Klimaschutzverordnung § 8 Vorgehen bei Überschreitung der Jahresemissionsgesamtmengen Abschnitt 3Klimaschutzplanung § 9 Klimaschutzprogramme § 10 Berichterstattung Abschnitt 4Expertenrat für Klimafragen § 11 Unabhängiger Expertenrat für Klimafragen, Verordnungsermächtigung § 12 Aufgaben des Expertenrats für Klimafragen Abschnitt 5Vorbildfunktion der öffentlichen Hand § 13 Berücksichtigungsgebot § 14 Bund-Länder-Zusammenarbeit § 15 Klimaneutrale Bundesverwaltung § 16 Übergangsvorschriften Anlage 1 (zu § 5)Sektoren Anlage 2 (zu § 4 Absatz 1 Satz 2 und 3)Jahresemissionsgesamtmengen für die Jahre 2020 bis 2030 Anlage 2a (zu § 5 Absatz 1 Satz 2)Jahresemissionsmengen für die Jahre 2020 bis 2030 Anlage 3 (zu § 4 Absatz 1 Satz 4)Jährliche Minderungsziele für die Jahre 2031 bis 2040

KSG Ausfertigungsdatum: 12.12.2019 Vollzitat: "Bundes-Klimaschutzgesetz vom 12. Dezember 2019 (BGBl. I S. 2513), das zuletzt durch Artikel 1 des Gesetzes vom 15. Juli 2024 (BGBl. 2024 I Nr. 235) geändert worden ist"

Tags: Climate Change, Climate Neutrality, Climate Protection, Ghg, Germany, Institutions / Administrative Arrangements, Regulation, Policy, Deadline, Reporting, Planning, Carbon Pricing, Compliance, Governance, Mitigation, Lulucf, Carbon Sink, Update

Sector: Economy-wide

Original Source